Saturday, 29 October 2011

Nayyar Sultana: A trail of Memories - By Anis Shakur

Tayyaba was born in 1937 in Aligarh, Uttar Pardesh, India, to a conservative ,middle class family.

Her parents sent her to a local school in Aligarh and she was in grade four at the time of partition.

In the midst of widespread unrest during those days, she migrated to Karachi ,Pakistan, along with her family.

Once settled in Pakistan, Tayyaba resumed her education and successfully completed her matriculation examination.

Interested in Urdu literature, poetry and stage drama as a young girl, she was an exquisite blend of brain and brawn.

To many who knew her, Tayyaba seemed to have knowledge and depth of understanding beyond her years.

Her parents were related to Shamim Banu, wife of the film director, Anwer Kamal Pasha.

It were one of those days, she visited Lahore, where she met both Mr. And Mrs. Pasha.

Pasha was a very experienced judge of talent who was overwhelmed by her beauty, innocence and simplicity.

Enchanted by Tayyaba's aptitude for Urdu literature, poetry and stage, Pasha was convinced that her qualities could be combined to transform her into a successful film actress.

Consequently, he offered her to join the burgeoning Pakistani cinema.

Shy, as Tayyaba was, she glanced at Shamim Banu, who also encouraged her to accept Pasha's sincere suggestion.

Next, Mrs.Pasha requested Tayyaba's parents to allow her to work in the films, to which they agreed, and it launched Tayyaba into the new society.

Thus Tayyaba changed her name to Nazli and appeared for the first time in the film 'Qaatil', in a side role: 'Qaatil', January 22, 1955, starring ,Sabiha Khanum, Santosh Kumar, Zia, who later changed his name to Aslam Pervez, Nazli, who later became Nayyar Sultana, Samina, who later became Musarrat Nazeer, Akmal. Director: Anwer Kamal Pasha, producer: Agha G.A. Gul, incidentally, 'Qaatil' was also the first film of both Musarrat Nazeer and Aslam Pervez.

After completing 'Qaatil', Nazli returned to Karachi.

From that moment her life was gripped with purpose, and Nazli reveled in her fabulous new life style.

Around that time, Mirza Humayun Elias Baig, who was basically a civil engineer and who also immigrated from Aligarh, decided to make the film 'Intikhaab' under the banner of Mughal Art Circle.

Masood was the hero and Jamila Razzaq, daughter of Seth Razzaq, played the heroine in 'Intikhaab'.

Nazli appeared in an important side role. The film 'Intikhaab' was released on September 30, 1955.

This time Nazli changed her name to Nayyar Sultana for good.

Increasingly, though, her attention was turned to filmdom.

Nayyar Sultana's third film in which she appeared in a side role was 'Anokhi',